FUTSAL – the name for what most would recognise as indoor soccer – has taken a big step with the start of the inaugural Far North Coast Premier League.

The competition is being sponsored by Legea sportswear and has $6000 in prizemoney.

Teams from Ballina, Goonellabah, Mullumbimby, Lismore City, Evans Head and Alstonville are dominated by leading local soccer players and there are also a couple of Brazilian professionals.

Three games at the Alstonville Leisure and Sports Complex kicked off the season.

In the first of them, Alstonville edged out Mullumbimby 8-7.

It was 2-all after 15 minutesthen Villa established a nice rhythm to move ahead with goals before half-time to Joel Organ, Daniel Bonesi, Joel Perkins and Richard Russell.

Mullum hit back in the second half as Vinicius Leite and Mica Fourcard bombarded the Villa goal and pegged it back to 7-all.

With only 10 seconds remaining, Alstonville broke the dead-lock, slipping through the defence to find the winning goal.

The referees named Perkins as the player of the match.

In the next game, Ballina struggled against a talented squad of veteran premier soccer players, going down to Lismore City 15-3.

Lismore City streaked ahead as Wayne Mortimer, Clint Willoughby, Zac Innes and Zac Crowley pounded the Ballina goal.

The second half was no better for a Ballina team without fresh reserves and, although Brett Watson and Andrew Lundie provided three goals, Lismore City continued to dominate.

Evans Head went in as underdogs against Goonellabah but came away with a 4-all draw.

The Evans Head duo of Trent Claydon and Cerys Hawkins scored two early goals before Goonellabah clawed back to 2-all.

The second half was highlighted by some fantastic ball skills and goalkeeping.

Cerys Hawkins was named as player of the match.

The Alstonville court has undergone a $200,000 renovation with new lighting and playing surface making it one of the best facilities in the region.

Games are being played on Friday nights through summer.